MoS2 Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Zhang, C.; Wang, Z.; Bhoyate, S.; Morey, T.; Neria, Brooks L.; Vasiraju, Venkata; Gupta, Gautam; Palchoudhury, Soubantika; Kahol, P. K.; Mishra, S. R.; Perez, Felio; Gupta, Ram K.

doi:10.3390/c3040033

Open AccessArticle

MoS₂ Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

by

C. Zhang

¹,

Z. Wang

¹,

S. Bhoyate

¹,

T. Morey

¹,

Brooks L. Neria

²,

Venkata Vasiraju

³,

Gautam Gupta

³,

Soubantika Palchoudhury

⁴,

P. K. Kahol

⁵,

S. R. Mishra

⁶,

Felio Perez

⁷ and

Ram K. Gupta

^1,*

¹

Department of Chemistry, Pittsburg State University, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762, USA

²

Carl Junction High School, 206 South Roney, Carl Junction, MO 64834, USA

³

Materials Physics and Applications (MPA-11), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA

⁴

Center for Materials for Information Technology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA

⁵

Department of Physics, Pittsburg State University, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762, USA

⁶

Department of Physics, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA

⁷

Integrated Microscopy Center, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

C 2017, 3(4), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/c3040033

Submission received: 29 September 2017 / Revised: 13 October 2017 / Accepted: 16 October 2017 / Published: 30 October 2017

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Carbon Materials in Catalysis)

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Abstract

Hydrogen is an efficient fuel which can be generated via water splitting, however hydrogen evolution occurs at high overpotential, and efficient hydrogen evolution catalysts are desired to replace state-of-the-art catalysts such as platinum. Here, we report an advanced electrocatalyst that has low overpotential, efficient charge transfers kinetics, low Tafel slope and durable. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs), obtained by carbonizing electrospun fibers, were decorated with MoS₂ using a facile hydrothermal method. The imaging of catalyst reveals a flower like morphology that allows for exposure of edge sulfur sites to maximize the HER process. HER activity of MoS₂ decorated over CNFs was compared with MoS₂ without CNFs and with commercial MoS₂. MoS₂ grown over CNFs and MoS₂-synthesized produced about 374 and 98 times higher current density at −0.30 V (vs. Reversible Hydrogen Electrode, RHE) compared with the MoS₂-commercial sample, respectively. MoS₂-commercial, MoS₂-synthesized and MoS₂ grown over CNFs showed a Tafel slope of 165, 79 and 60 mV/decade, capacitance of 0.99, 5.87 and 15.66 mF/cm², and turnover frequency of 0.013, 0.025 and 0.54 s⁻¹, respectively. The enhanced performance of MoS₂-CNFs is due to large electroactive surface area, more exposure of edge sulfur to the electrolyte, and easy charge transfer from MoS₂ to the electrode through conducting CNFs.

Keywords: carbon nanofibers; MoS₂; hydrogen evolution reaction; Tafel slope

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, C.; Wang, Z.; Bhoyate, S.; Morey, T.; Neria, B.L.; Vasiraju, V.; Gupta, G.; Palchoudhury, S.; Kahol, P.K.; Mishra, S.R.; et al. MoS₂ Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. C 2017, 3, 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/c3040033

AMA Style

Zhang C, Wang Z, Bhoyate S, Morey T, Neria BL, Vasiraju V, Gupta G, Palchoudhury S, Kahol PK, Mishra SR, et al. MoS₂ Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. C. 2017; 3(4):33. https://doi.org/10.3390/c3040033

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, C., Z. Wang, S. Bhoyate, T. Morey, Brooks L. Neria, Venkata Vasiraju, Gautam Gupta, Soubantika Palchoudhury, P. K. Kahol, S. R. Mishra, and et al. 2017. "MoS₂ Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction" C 3, no. 4: 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/c3040033

APA Style

Zhang, C., Wang, Z., Bhoyate, S., Morey, T., Neria, B. L., Vasiraju, V., Gupta, G., Palchoudhury, S., Kahol, P. K., Mishra, S. R., Perez, F., & Gupta, R. K. (2017). MoS₂ Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. C, 3(4), 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/c3040033

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MoS₂ Decorated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

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